BOTHELL, Wash. – The Latinx Student Union at University of Washington Bothell is a Latinx community that strives to represent Latin American cultures and take stances on social issues affecting the Latinx community. Its students have created a community presence on and off campus through the organization of events that encourage aspects of Latin American cultures.
“It’s a place where I can help build a community,” said Denisse Gonzalez, the LSU public relations officer. It, “is a safe space where Latinx students can express themselves,” she said as fellow members decorated shadow boxes in preparation for their Dia de Los Muertos altar. The LSU’s celebration of the holiday would serve as one of the many events hosted by the organization to share parts of Latinx culture with the rest of the community on campus.
“This year, we are trying to get more involved on and off campus,” said Itayetzin Govea-Galicia, the LSU president. She said that the organization has an emphasis on reaching out to the greater community in Washington. Food drives, working to bring local high school students to campus, and educational meetings focused around Latinx culture are some of its most impactful events. These events are promoted all throughout campus and on social media inviting anyone who is interested to join them as they share bits of their culture. Sometimes, the events even serve as a platform for Latinx students voice’s to be heard.
A big part of the LSU’s agenda is taking stances on social or political topics relating to Latinx communities. Students provide information, raise money, and make their voice be heard on such topics at the events. “[The LSU] has a deep commitment to social justice causes,” said Professor Yolanda Padilla, the LSU faculty adviser. She said that it brings exposure to issues within the Latinx community to a broader community that even extends past UW Bothell.
Padilla went on to describe how the term Latinx is a recently popularized term used by Latin American communities all around the world. Since languages in Latin American countries have hard gender pronouns embedded into them, Latin American communities began prominently using the term around 2016 to be more conscious of gender pronouns. Prior to, and even during 2016, many Latin Americans were instead using Chicana/o, said Padilla. Although, it wasn’t sufficient enough as it perpetuated the inherited gender binary within the languages. “Using the ‘x’ is a way to get rid of the gender binary,” she said.
The LSU fully embraces the ‘x’ as they were once the Latin Student Union, and now they even going as far as to use amigx over amiga/o. “We affirm intersectional identities and take a political stance on social issues affecting the Latinx community in Washington and the United States,” the LSU constitution says, as posted on their OrgSync page. They have continued to live up to this statement through their actions and presence within the Latinx community.
“Just come in one day, that’s all it takes,” said Gonzalez when asked about new members joining the LSU. The Latinx Student Union at University of Washington Bothell looks to represent and express the culture of the Latinx community on and off campus. Padilla attributes their self-sufficiency and welcoming attitude towards new students as to why they will continue to grow and be useful to the community. As for now, they brace for their holiday season events while voting on design ideas for their new club gear.
